A prominent bisexual advocate is the latest to call out TV show Sex and the City for its problematic representation of his community.
Lewis Oakley told Newsweek that he has called on the creators of the SATC reboot, And Just Like That..., to redress some of the "damage" done by the original series.
Set to premiere on June 22, And Just Like That...'s second season will see the return of the four iconic SATC characters: Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker); Samantha (Kim Cattrall); Miranda (Cynthia Nixon); and Charlotte (Kristin Davis).
The premiere also coincides with the 25th anniversary of SATC, but as Oakley argues, some of the show's plots have not aged well.
In a now-infamous episode from season three called Boy, Girl, Boy, Girl, Carrie dates a bisexual man named Sean. During a discussion about his sexuality with her best friends, Carrie decides bisexual men "always end up with men." She describes bisexuality as a "layover on the way to gay town." Charlotte goes on to say that bisexuals should "pick a side and stay there," while Miranda calls bisexuality "greedy", "double-dipping" and "a problem."
"That episode did a lot of damage. A lot of people turned to Sex and the City to help them navigate life, and I think it did solidify bisexuality as 'not a thing' for many people," Oakley said.
Things didn't get much better in season four when Samantha dates Brazilian artist Maria, but rather than explore a bisexual storyline, the other women criticize her for entering a same-sex relationship.
Oakley described the show's attitudes as "bi ignorance" and said he hoped the spin-off would "address this big issue from the past" and "do it properly this time."
"In the new show, we are suddenly supposed to believe the main characters are progressive now, yet we don't see how they got there," Oakley said.
"There are two non-binary characters in the new show, and one of the leads is coming to terms with her own sexuality, and they are all fine with it. How? When bisexuality was such an issue for them," he added.
Newsweek contacted And Just Like That... showrunner Michael Patrick King via email for comment.
Virgin Radio Pride host Oakley had a great suggestion for the show's bosses on how they can improve their bisexuality representation.
"I actually think it would make a good storyline in the show. Maybe an old article from Carrie's column resurfaces where she has been critical of bisexual men," Oakley said. He added: "Maybe she is forced to confront her views from the 1990s and how that impacted others."
Oakley said: "Largely, I think the damage has been done. So many people turned to the show in the '90s and it guided them, so there will be a lot of original fans that may have their minds made up on bisexual men. That's why I'm using this moment to remind people that it wasn't OK."
Despite times moving forward, bisexuality still remains a taboo topic, with bisexual people reporting negative mental-health outcomes because of society's perception of them.
"[It] isolates them from both heterosexual and LGBTQIA+ communities. It also prevents bisexuals from feeling positive and open about their sexuality, which in turn contributes to the higher reporting of anxiety, depression, and self-harm, as well as lower reporting of coming out," according to the Bisexual Resource Center.
Oakley added: "It can be really hard for bisexuals to be visible, even in Pride Month. I think that's why it's important to raise awareness and visibility where we can, which is what I hope to do today."
The bisexual advocate's remarks come as LGBTQ+ concerns are set to be a major hot-topic issue in the 2024 GOP presidential primary. Both Republican nominee frontrunners, Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis, brought up LGBTQ+ matters at recent campaign stops.
Former U.S. President Trump promised to remove federal funding from schools that teach "transgender insanity" and other "inappropriate racially, political, and sexual content" during a speech in North Carolina.
DeSantis, who is the governor of Florida, signed the "don't say gay" bill, which bans the discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in certain grades at schools in the state.
More than 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills are being considered by state legislators across the country and Congress this year alone, which is more than any other year on record. Of those 525 bills, 220 target transgender people including banning them from competing in sports to not allowing gender-affirming and often life-saving care for minors.
The record-breaking number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills led to the Human Rights Campaign to declare "a state of emergency" for LGBTQ+ people in the U.S.
"The multiplying threats facing millions in our community are not just perceived—they are real, tangible and dangerous," HRC President Kelley Robinson said in a statement. "In many cases, they are resulting in violence against LGBTQ+ people, forcing families to uproot their lives and flee their homes in search of safer states, and triggering a tidal wave of increased homophobia and transphobia that puts the safety of each and every one of us at risk.
"Our No.1 priority will always be ensuring that LGBTQ+ people are safe and have the tools they need to defend and protect themselves against acts of hostility, discrimination and—in the most extreme cases—violence."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Shannon Power is a Greek-Australian reporter, but now calls London home. They have worked as across three continents in print, ... Read more
